Your Summer Guide to K-Culture (Korean Shows, Books & Food)

Who could have known that in the last few years the world would be so intrigued by Korean culture. From wildly popular music groups such as BTS and Blackpink, to a rapid increase of people enrolling in Korean language courses, to the 2.5 billion extra dollars Netflix will be investing in future Korean dramas over the next 4 years, Korean everything has taken the world by storm.

It’s Personal

As a Korean, I find this fascinating. I’m proud of the art coming out of this small country and thrilled with its success all over the world.

As a Korean adoptee, I mourn that so much of my culture and heritage is still vastly unknown to me. I’m Korean and yet I’m not—a split between two worlds that is both wonderful and difficult. (If you’re interested in reading about my Korean adoption experience, I wrote a piece for Fathom Magazine a few years ago titled History Unknown Link here.

As an American, I live in a state of awe and I’ll admit, occasional confusion, over language and cultural differences I simply do not understand.

For many Korean adoptees, personal identity and philosophical renderings of abandonment preoccupy a lot of our headspace, leaving us with often unanswerable questions about the most basic, yet unknown parts of our history.

Oddly, these tensions have not always lived at the forefront of my mind. It wasn’t until I reached adulthood and began my own journey into parenting that the significance of these identity points began to affect me more deeply. The slow burning process of grieving what was lost and rejoicing in what has felt messy at times. Even now, it’s an uncovering of sorts—a means of piecing together a puzzle little by little, trusting that one day enough pieces will have been collected and properly fitted to reveal a story of a history unknown.

One day at a time.

Until then I remain curious—curiously studying the Korean language until I feel like my mind can’t possibly retain one more noun or verb, curiously picking up books written by Korean authors with fascinating stories to tell, curiously cooking my way through Korean food blogs, experimenting with ingredients like gochuchang and dried squid, and curiously watching all of the Korean dramas—ready to embrace the innovative world of Korean culture.

And honestly, what better time to begin than right now.

Kickstart Your Korean Summer

With the start of summer and in an effort to encourage you, dear reader, to enjoy and embrace this world of Korean culture, I offer you some guides that will kickstart your love of the Korean culture and be sure to transform you into a true K-fan:

*Keep in mind that these are my personal preferences only. Please be mindful of your own preferences and do research beforehand as some of these recommendations deal with storylines associated with things that could be triggering for you: Suicide, Adoption, Bullying, Slavery, Abuse, etc.

K-Drama Must-Sees

1. The Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Netflix)
2. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (Netflix)
3. Goblin (Viki)
4. Alchemy of Souls (Netflix)
5. Our Beloved Summer (Netflix)

K-Themed Book Recommendations

1. Crying in H-Mart by Michelle Zauner (Memoir)
2. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Historical Fiction)
3. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (Historical Fiction)
4. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (Domestic Fiction)
5. All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung (Memoir) * Especially insightful if you are an adoptee or considering adoption.

K-Food Favorites

1. Gimbap (Korean version of Sushi) For excellent Gimbap recipes, check out maangchi.com She’s the Korean mama we all want cooking for us.
2. Patbingsu – Korean snow-like textured ice often served with red beans, rice cakes, and sweetened condensed milk. I highly recommend Sul n Beans’ Green Tea Patbingsu!
3. Jajangmyeon – Korean comfort food right here – Korean noodles traditionally served with pork and a salty black bean sauce. I recommend Sura restaurant in Oxnard. It’s not 100% authentically Korean food, but delicious nonetheless and their black bean noodles are excellent!
4. Japchae – Also known as “glass noodles”, these sweet potato noodles are loaded with veggies, protein, and a very simple, yet delicious soy sauce marinade.
5. Tteokbokki – Rice cakes boiled or pan fried and smothered in a popular Korean red sauce. If you love spicy food, this snack is for you! The simplest way to try this snack other than making a trip out to Korea town in L.A., is to go to your nearest Costco! You can find pre-packaged Tteokbokki and whip it up in 10 minutes at home. I especially enjoy eating it with shredded cheddar cheese on top!